


Made For Another Universe

by sometimes_i_am_lola



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Hitman: Agent 47 (2015), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Awesome Darcy Lewis, BAMF Darcy Lewis, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Culebras (From Dusk Till Dawn), Cyborg!Darcy, Darcy Lewis is Natasha Romanov's Mother, Darcy Lewis is Tony Stark's Mother, Darcy Lewis-centric, Darcy is a Gecko, Drabbles, F/F, F/M, Gen, Hybrid!Darcy, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Multi, Not Steve Friendly, One-Shots, Shorts, Vampire!Darcy, agent!darcy, another gecko sibling, dragon!Darcy, surprise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:54:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22739167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sometimes_i_am_lola/pseuds/sometimes_i_am_lola
Summary: If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world. -C.S. LewisDarcy Lewis-centric drabbles and one-shots.
Relationships: Darcy Lewis/Agent 47, Darcy Lewis/Klaus Mikaelson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis, James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Kate Fuller/Seth Gecko
Comments: 36
Kudos: 124





	1. Agent!Darcy Pt. 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had all this inspiration for different Darcy Lewis fics over the years but most of them only went so far. i never posted them but I figured, why not? So, here they are. if any of them are something you might like to see expanded, tell me, and I'll see what I can do. Sometimes, comments are what give me inspiration.

53 wakes up coughing.

Her breath comes in short gasps as she tries to turn her head and look around.

Smoke and fire fill her vision.

Screams and gunfire surround her, fading out as her vision goes dark at the edges.

Her ears ring as something nearby explodes.

There’s a throbbing in her head, an ache in her ribs.

She has no idea if she can move but she knows that she needs to.

Sand is being kicked up by the fighting, shrapnel is everywhere, and finally, she manages to roll over onto her stomach. She holds back a shriek as something in her leg explodes into pain, waves of it crashing over her body as she squeezes her eyes closed and grits her teeth.

Looking down, she catches a glimpse of torn flesh, blood, and bone. Her clothes are in tatters but the dark green cargo pants, tan combat boots, and brown t-shirt are holding up well enough for now.

The clothes aren’t hers but they fit well enough.

Instead of panicking at the chaos around her, her training forces her to dig her fingers into the sand underneath her and use her arms to pull herself forward.

She knows 47 will come for her.

A few feet away is a small crate and she figures she can probably bust some of the wood off it to make a splint. The tarps nearby will work to stabilize it.

It takes her a few minutes to get to the crate and then she has to maneuver around to get her foot positioned to kick the crate. She can only use one, since her other leg is broken, so she braces herself, breathes in deeply, then exhales on a yell as she kicks with all of her considerable strength.

The crate shatters but there’s a few sizable pieces of wood that will make a sufficient splint.

She clenches her jaw tight as she presses two pieces of wood to either side of her leg, tying fabric around them tightly.

When that’s done, she finds a gun that’s in one of the larger crates nearby.

The rifle is long enough that when she attaches another piece of wood to it, crudely, it makes a workable cane. It’s not ideal but she knows it’s her best shot.

For now, though, she lowers herself to the ground again and half drags, half belly crawls towards the cave where most of the action seems to be taking place.

She hasn’t seen any vehicles or helicopters, but she’s in the middle of the desert and she needs some sort of protection from the elements if she can’t get a ride.

Crawling her way forward, she comes across a dying man.

He raises his gun, barely, and tries to aim for her but she yanks it from his hand and throws it to the side. The light leaves his eyes before he can move again.

She moves past a few more bodies before finding the mouth of a cave.

The entrance is scorched but it is a little ways away from the other cave formations so she feels safe-ish entering.

A few feet inside, she maneuvers herself to a standing position and clenches her teeth, not able to fully stifle the scream of pain.

She grabs a few tarps and cuts parts of them, creating a poncho that she layered with another poncho, then cut strips to make a head cover.

She makes her way back out of the cave, limping along as best she can, shooting when she has to, as she grabs a few extra clips, some knives, and a few grenades.

Briefly, she wonders about the person who caused all of this chaos, but as long as they don’t cause her any problems, she ignores that for the moment, too.

As her eyes scan the horizon, hoping for the sight of transportation of any kind, she sees a large metal man fly away from the caves.

She doesn’t think too hard about it, just starts limping in the direction he went, even as she watches him fall.

She sees no one following her but she can’t drop her guard.

53 had been with the Ten Rings for almost a year as what they thought was a hostage. She doesn’t need a bullet in the back now.

Finally, she makes it to the area where the man fell.

As her shadow falls over him, he blinks up at her warily.

She reaches up slowly and begins to unwrap the scarf from her head.

“Where did you come from?” The man, Tony Stark of all people, asks her as she looks him over.

She shrugs at him before looking around them. “The caves.”

“Who are you?” He asks her and she hesitates momentarily.

“53.” She tells him.

“53?” Stark asks her, obviously thinking she must have bumped her head. “What’s a 53?”

“I am 53.” She tells him, looking back at him with a frown.

“Okay. How long were you held hostage?” He asks as he starts to get up from the ground, shedding the metal contraption he was strapped into. He obviously thinks she’s crazy or confused.

“Almost a year.” She tells him, following slowly as he starts to walk. “Then today, I woke up to whatever that was. I was outside, on the ground, with a broken leg.”

“A broken leg?” He asks sharply as he turns to her. “Let me see.”

She carefully lifts her ponchos, letting him see the makeshift splint she made.

He shakes his head and asks her if he can look it over.

She nods carefully, removing both ponchos and letting him help her to a seated position.

He carefully unwraps the fabric and moves the wood, ripping her pants open further to examine the wound.

“It’s gonna need surgery.” He tells her, but then yanks his hand back as he notices something.

She blinks at him before looking at her own leg.

He carefully rubs some of the blood off and she can see that her skin has tried to reknit itself around the exposed bone, the way it’s supposed to.

“I think we might be able to set this here. It’s going to hurt.”

All she can do is nod before laying back onto the sand. Stark hands her a leather glove and she puts it between her teeth as he grips her leg.

A grunt, a scream, and a sharp flair of pain follows quickly and then he is prodding at the healing flesh. She hisses and he stops.

“Tender?” He asks her and she nods, spitting out the leather glove.

Stark redoes the splint on her leg for stabilization while it heals. She removes the extra wood from the gun and puts the strap across her body so that the gun rests along her back.

She puts one poncho on but offers the other one to Stark and he takes it with a smile of thanks.

They both wrap their heads and start their walk.

It takes almost the whole day, but soon Stark is waving in the air as the sound of a helicopter approaches.

Soldiers jump out of the transport and one makes his way straight for Stark.

The way Stark is smiling implies he’s happy so she doesn’t remark, just follows them as they make their way to the helicopter.

Before they reach the transport, a figure clad in military fatigues steps off the chopper and 53 nods at 47. He nods back and looks her over quickly before helping her onto the chopper.

Stark and 53 get water and energy bars as soon as they’re in the air and she stays by 47’s side while Stark and the soldiers send her and 47 strange looks.

“So, who’s your friend?” The man that had hugged Stark asks.

“That’s, uh, Darcy.” Stark says and she looks at him for a second but doesn’t dispute what he’s said. “She was another hostage.”

“Mm.” The man, Colonel Rhodes, says as if he doesn’t quite believe Stark. “Well, that there appears to be her commanding officer. Major Gunner.”

There’s nothing else said on the transport, but she suspects there will be once she or 47 are no longer within earshot.

They land at a small army base and unload.

They’re shown to the barracks where Tony is given a suit to wear and 47 hands her some new fatigues. Her boots are still fine, so she keeps those, but gladly throws everything else in the trash.

She showers quickly, and dresses quicker.

She uses her fingers to brush her hair away from her face, the curly brown strands finally clean after so long being mostly greasy and full of sand. Her leg is completely healed by this point and she’s glad that Stark didn’t mention it to anyone else. She doesn’t need more questions.

They leave the base again with Colonel Rhodes.

The plane ride is spent with both of them sleeping on uncomfortable cots.

47 wakes her to announce they’re back on American soil.

The rear loading ramp lowers and at the bottom of the ramp stands a pretty redhead in a business suit.

The woman barely glances at her or 47 as she begins talking to Stark as the two head for a nice black car.

When Stark stops moving, 47 steps forward, 53 right beside him as he hands a small card to Stark. “If it’s not too much trouble, Mr. Stark, I would appreciate a call so that we may discuss any information you may have on where you were held. Feel free to call at any time.”

Stark nods slowly, glancing at the card before sliding it into his pants pocket. He stares at 53 a second longer, with her staring back, unblinking.

After a moment, he stops his scrutiny and slides into his car with the redhead as 53 and 47 head their separate ways.

*

As Tony finishes the press conference, he can’t help but think of the woman who called herself 53 and her friend, Major Gunner.

They both acted military, but a little too military.

And Rhodey had tried to find information on Major Gunner. The man’s files were blacked out, though.

To Rhodey, that meant one thing. Black ops wet work. Government spook.

That’s why Rhodey had seemed so uncomfortable around the man. He was the type that was sent in to places that weren’t exactly legal to do things that were definitely illegal. They did bad things for possibly good reasons.

If they were caught, no one claimed them.

That was the only explanation for the woman being held hostage for so long. She’d been caught.

With a sigh, Tony heads home, wanting nothing more than a few more hours of sleep and to work in his workshop.

He wants to be home.

When he walks in the door, the first thing he does is ask Jarvis to search for any information on Major Gunner and mark anything that references 53.

Jarvis complies and Tony goes to his bedroom, stripping the suit off and falling into bed in only his boxer briefs.


	2. Agent!Darcy Pt. 2

Of all the ways for her past to come back and bite her in the ass, she never expected it to be because Steve Rogers brought his best friend home.

Darcy was sitting in the communal area with Clint, debating movies, when Steve walked in, Bucky Barnes right behind him.

She’d started to smile in their direction but then the Winter Soldier was stalking towards her and she stood up, moving backwards.

He reached her quickly and with his cybernetic arm, he gripped her throat, pressing her against the wall behind her.

“Bucky!” Steve yelled as Clint reached for his arm.

“You don’t know what she is!” Barnes snarled and she tried to look at Clint.

Barnes wasn’t choking her, just holding her, and she was hoping the situation could be resolved without revealing anything.

“You’ve got-” She tried to speak but Barnes tightened his hand and pushed her up the wall.

It was harder for her to breathe but she gripped his arm, holding herself up enough that he wasn’t choking her. Not yet.

“No!” Barnes snarled again. “Why are you here?”

Darcy quickly realized that she wasn’t going to talk her way out of this one.

So, resigned to the fact that she was about to seriously damage all of her relationships, she tensed.

Swinging both legs up and around Barnes’ arm, she pulled, barely bending his elbow.

When that didn’t work, she kicked out, striking him in the face.

That caused his hold to loosen and Darcy used the opportunity to pull free. She barely had a chance to hit the ground before he was kicking out.

She rolled, causing him to miss, and came up in a crouch.

He lunged and she pushed to her feet, grabbing his shoulders and bending her knees to plant them in his gut.

When her back hit the floor, she pushed up and he flipped over her.

She followed, moving to straddle his chest.

A quick series of blows to his face followed until he managed to bring his legs up and wrap them around her upper body.

He pulled her backwards, getting her torso in a leg lock.

Slipping her hand into the waistband of her pants, she pulled out a knife and pressed it to his inner thigh.

It cut through the material of his pants easily and she lightly tapped him.

The surprise caused his legs to loosen a fraction, but it was enough for her to throw her hands roughly into the air, breaking the rest of his hold. She threw her own legs up and over her head, flipping so that she was facing him in another crouch.

He approached her and, moving quickly, she kicked the side of his knee. She heard the pop she wanted to hear and stood up, taking off at a dead run.

Not looking back, she ducked through the emergency stairwell and went up, coming out on the lab floors. She grabbed her bug out bag from her desk next to Jane’s, not stopping, and was soon on the roof.

She’d prepared an emergency escape but she’d never planned on it being used for anything like this. Running away from her own people.

She heard the door burst open behind her and not bothering to turn around, she ran across the roof to another door that was for services and repairs. She quickly pushed through it, taking a moment to lock it behind her.

It wouldn’t give her much time but hopefully it’d be enough.

Getting into the service elevator, she pressed the button for the underground garage and waited for it to begin moving.

Opening the access panel in the ceiling of the elevator, she climbed up and out.

*

Clint had been enjoying his day.

He’d been able to relax and was even talking to Darcy about cheesy horror movies.

Then all hell broke loose.

Steve had come in with his long-lost best friend and the man had went straight for Darcy, attack mode activated.

When Barnes had shoved her into the wall, Clint had been prepared to take him down.

Then something changed and Darcy fought back, and holy hell, she had moves.

She’d gotten away from Barnes only to take off running.

“What the hell was that?” Clint asked Steve.

Whatever he’d seen, Darcy was his friend.

“Buck?” Steve asked, slowly and calmly.

“She’s an agent.” Barnes growled.

“An agent of what?!” Clint yelled. “She’s Darcy!”

“She’s Fifty-three.” Barnes told him, stepping forward.

“What? She’s like twenty-five.” Clint was confused now.

“No. She is Agent Fifty-three.” Barnes said.

Clint shook his head and took off after her, asking Friday where she was headed.

When Friday told him she was approaching the roof, he put on a burst of speed and made it just in time to see her disappear behind another door.

As Darcy flew back out of the lab, Jane jerked out of her science!fog. She’d seen her friend pick up her go bag, just one of the many the woman had hidden around the tower.

Clint followed shortly after, not even glancing at Jane as he ran.

The scientist quickly got up to follow, knowing this could end badly.

Darcy was close-lipped about her past pre-Jane, but a few stories had been told over shared bottles of tequila.

Jane made it to the roof just in time to catch sight of another door closing.


	3. Agent!Darcy Pt. 3

Alarms blared as men in black SWAT gear stormed the building.

The Avengers currently in the building, which happened to be Tony Stark and Natasha Romanov, were quickly subdued, as a group of men herded Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis into the room.

Darcy quickly noted that Natasha was on her knees, hands behind her head, while Tony was sitting in a chair, an assault rifle pointed at the side of his head.

“Just, you know, fair warning. If you hurt the tiny scientist, you’re probably looking at planetary war with an extremely advanced alien race. Her boyfriend is a prince.” Tony spoke up as his gaze darted between the men. “Oh, and the assistant is his adopted sister. So, space princesses and all that.”

“We are not here for any of you.” A man said as he stepped into the center of the room. A thick scar ran down the middle of his forehead, only to cut across the bridge of his nose and over his cheek. “We are looking for Agent Fifty-three. Also known as Darya Lena Volkov. Recent intel has led us to believe that she has been here before.”

“You really should check your intel better. I’ve never even heard of a Darya. And seeing as this is my building, I would’ve. Trust me.”

The man with the assault rifle pointed at Tony stepped closer to the billionaire, the muzzle of the gun almost brushing Tony’s hair.

Darcy’s shoulders tensed and the men behind her forced her to her knees. Jane was forced to her knees right next to her and Darcy wished she could wrap an arm around the woman who had become her best friend.

“One of you knows. If you don’t start speaking, I will start cutting.” The man with the scar spoke again. “It will be very slow, and very unpleasant.”

Everyone stayed silent and the man stepped towards Jane.

Darcy gritted her teeth as she watched the man grab Jane’s hair and haul her to her feet. A knife was produced and he slid the sharpened point against her friend’s cheek.

Natasha’s face remained impassive but Tony looked enraged.

As he pressed the point of the knife to Jane’s cheek and a trickle of blood appeared, Darcy decided she’d had enough.

“Stop.” She called out to him. Natasha and Tony looked at her as if she’d lost her mind but she knew what she had to do. She wouldn’t let Jane be hurt over this. “I’m the one you want.”

“Prove it.” Scar told her as he moved the blade away from her friend’s skin.

Moving quickly, Darcy twisted her upper body, hitting the man directly behind her in the groin.

When he doubled over, she used a palm strike, coming to a standing position as she did so.

He fell unconscious, maybe dead, and she didn’t waste any time in moving to the next man.

He swung out but he was sloppy and she grabbed his wrist in a tight grip.

Pulling his arm forward and past her, she brought her knee up into his stomach. She let go of his arm and wrapped her fingers around his throat, slamming him onto his back.

She used the momentum to roll past the man that grabbed for her and she came up in a crouch.

This time, she let the man get close, he grabbed her throat and she used his own stupid decision to swing her legs up, one going around his throat, one around his chest, so that she held his arm against her upper body.

With a hard and vicious pull, she dislocated his elbow.

He screamed and she threw her legs up and over in a complicated looking twist, taking the man to the ground.

Another reached for her and she brought her arm up, pushing his arm to the side and grabbing it to bring him closer. She punched him twice before using an elbow strike to knock him out.

She felt movement behind her and twisted into a sidekick, using a little too much force and sending the man flying a few feet across the room.

“Enough!” Scar called out and the rest of the men stopped moving immediately. “Agent Fifty-three, you will come with us. If you refuse, your tiny scientist dies.”

“Fine.” Darcy replied, not looking at Natasha or Tony.

Her eyes met Jane’s and the astrophysicist nodded discreetly, confirming that she knew what she had to do.

Darcy let the man place thick cuffs on her wrists and then he led her from the room.

*

After the men left, taking their wounded with them, Jane immediately flew into action.

She pulled her phone out and sent a coded message to the secure number Darcy had given her after New Mexico and Thor.

Noticing the silence in the room, she looked up to see Black Widow and Tony Stark watching her.

“What the hell was that?” Tony asked her. “Who the hell is Darcy for real and why didn’t we know?”

“It’s a long story.” Jane began but was interrupted by a figure in a perfectly tailored suit.

The man stepped into the room and looked around, ignoring the weapons now aimed at him by the two Avengers.

“You sent the message?” He asked Jane in a bland, from-nowhere voice.

“Yeah, how did you get here so fast?” She asked as she slowly stepped towards him. “Darcy told me that it could take days for you to respond.”

“I was already on my way.” He told her. “They’ve been tracking her.”

“Who the hell are you?” Tony finally asked when he found his voice.

“I am Agent Forty-seven.” He tilted his head at the two Avengers, his face empty of all emotion. “I understand that you have resources that could be useful to me in retrieving my malen’kiy volk.”

Jane watched as Tony slowly lowered his hand, the glowing repulsor powering down.

After a moment of silence, he stepped towards the man, Forty-seven. “I need to call in some friends.”

*

With a strange sense of anxiety flowing through her, Jane sat in the boardroom they’d designated as their war room.

She had faith in Darcy’s abilities; she knew in the very fiber of her being that her friend would be okay.

No, her anxiety stemmed from the looks she kept receiving from Agent Romanov and Tony Stark.

Forty-seven had taken a seat beside her after they’d moved into the boardroom, and he’d remained silent the entire time.

The stories Darcy had told her of The Syndicate were starting to feel a lot more real as she watched the man’s face remain blank.

Jane couldn’t stop herself from jumping slightly when the door opened and she was surprised when Forty-seven placed his hand over hers, on top of the table, for a brief moment.

It had been ten hours of Stark’s snarky comments and neurotic personality, of Agent Romanov’s suspicious looks and silent judgement.

Jane had snagged a few moments of sleep here and there, at Forty-seven’s urging.

When she’d questioned his motivations, he’d simply explained that he knew who she was to Darcy and he needed her working at peak performance if she was to help them.

Captain America, Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, and Falcon stepped into the room. Vision appeared moments later without a word.

“What’s going on? You weren’t very clear in your message.” Captain America said to Stark as he barely spared a glance for Jane and Forty-seven.

“Darcy Lewis, Dr. Foster’s assistant, has been taken by an unknown organization.” Agent Romanov began.

“They’re The Syndicate.” Forty-seven spoke up as he stood from his seat.

The casual way he moved belied the seriousness of the situation. “An organization that was founded in the 1950s by five men looking to create the perfect assassins. May I, Mr. Stark?”

Stark waved a hand forward and Forty-seven proceeded to pull up files on the tablet that Jane had let him use.

Redacted files, surveillance photos, and police reports began filling up the screen on the wall. “They changed their name many times over the years going by Organization, International Contract Agency, The Agency, and several less used names. I was created in 1964; Agent Fifty-three was created in 1966. For many years, we were talked of as a myth, but most have forgotten we existed since the ones who knew the truth have all disappeared.”

“Wait, okay. You said you were created in 1964, not born. What does that mean?” Stark asked and Jane understood his need for clarification, even if she was hoping Forty-seven would leave out some information.

“No, I was not born. I have no parents. I was made in a lab, Mr. Stark, genetically engineered to be faster, smarter, and just plain better, than a human being.”

Pictures were pulled up on the screen and Jane felt sick when she saw boys, no more than ten years old, standing in groups.

They all wore the same clothes, gray sweatpants, white t-shirts, and white running shoes.

Their heads were shaved and other pictures showed barcodes on the backs of their heads at the base of their skulls.

The pictures changed, boys turning into men as their numbers got smaller.

“Why isn’t Darcy Lewis in any of the pictures?” Agent Romanov asked Forty-seven.

“Agent Fifty-three was kept separate, a secret.” Forty-seven replied, letting the screen go back to a slide show of files. “I knew of her because I was the best of the best. I knew everything.”

“What is she to you? How do we know that you are even on her side?” Captain America asked, using the full scope of his patented look.

Jane wished she could tell him it wasn’t going to work on Forty-seven.

“You don’t know, Captain. But I will get her back, with or without your people.” Forty-seven’s face had not changed, but his blue eyes suddenly held a light in them.

It wasn’t a comforting light.

“It seems to me that you’re the one that asked for us to help you save Miss Lewis.” The Captain said as he stepped forward, closer to Forty-seven, and Jane stood up, standing next to Forty-seven in a show of solidarity.

She didn’t know him personally, but she’d heard enough from Darcy over the years to know that he was a friend.

“You’ve been mistaken, Captain Rogers.” Forty-seven said in a calm voice. “I did not ask for help in saving my malen’kiy volk. I proposed that we pool resources to retrieve her. She does not need saving.”

“Why do you call her your little wolf?” Agent Romanov asked, tilting her head quizzically.

“More importantly,” Rogers interrupted. “How do we know you’re not lying? Miss Lewis has displayed nothing to indicate she was gifted or otherwise enhanced.”

“Prepare to be amazed.” Stark said in his usual dramatic way as he pulled up security footage from the infiltration.

  
Unwilling to watch her friends kidnapping a second time, Jane stood up and quietly left the room.


	4. Agent!Darcy Pt. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's some slight angst in this but I'd like to say that nothing in this chapter is intended to be permanent, even if I never finish this story, just remember that.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. How did this happen? It’s all Clint can think.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion.

The team had been enjoying a nice night on the roof of the tower, laughing, drinking, and stargazing.

A sudden noise had caused most of them to spring to their feet, eyes scanning the surrounding area as Dr. Foster and her assistant Darcy stood near them. Pepper was standing slightly behind Tony.

Then they all heard another noise, one a few of them were intimately familiar with.

The slight whistle of the projectile was pinpointed, but too late he realized, as they all watched a metal spike pierce through Darcy’s back and come out of her sternum.

Her eyes were shocked as she looked down and then back up, confusion clear on her face.

She opened her mouth to speak but only blood came out.

Then the spike clicked and four prongs shot out from it in an X formation.

The spike was pulled backwards and Darcy gasped.

The X crossed over her shoulders and ribs, pulling her backwards as her hand reached towards the group.

Steve and Thor were the first to react as they both lunged for her. But then she was yanked away from them and falling over the edge of the tower.

“NO!” Jane yelled, tears falling down her face.

Thor didn’t stop his forward momentum, pushing past Steve.

He jumped over the edge and Clint ran forward to grab Jane as she reached the edge. He wasn’t sure if she was thinking clearly and he didn’t want her jumping, too.

When he reached her, one hand locked around her bicep and the other pressed against the edge of the roof as he leaned forward to see if he could tell what was happening.

He caught sight of Thor just in time to see him wrap an arm around Darcy and break the rope at the end of the spike. His hand reached out to the side and seconds later Mjolnir was there, lifting them into the sky and back towards the roof.

No other attacks had happened as they’d all been standing there, so they rushed everyone inside and locked down the tower to be safe.

As most of the group went to suit up, Jane, Thor, and Bruce headed for the medical wing with Darcy in Thor’s arms.

She was completely limp, her eyes closed, her skin even more pale than usual, and Clint wasn’t sure if she was alive or not.

He rushed to suit up, meeting Natasha in the living area of their floor.

Without saying anything, they agreed that they would head to medical.

When they arrived, it was to see Stark already pacing the hallway, talking to Jarvis and messing with a tablet. Pepper was sitting in a chair, talking into her phone.

Steve arrived seconds later and they all sat down.

It wasn’t long before Fury was standing in the waiting room, too. Coulson and his new team directly behind him.

Maria Hill arrived shortly after that and they all deliberated about the seemingly random attack.

“No! Bring her back!” They heard screamed from inside the room holding Darcy. “You bring her back!”

Thor’s anguished scream roared through the floor, shaking the walls and furniture. Clint and the rest of the group exchanged horrified looks as they realized what had happened.

And though they’d known it was a probability, they had still hoped.

Darcy had been a friend to them all, shoving her way into their lives and making herself at home.

“I want her back! You can’t do this! Darcy, please! Please, Darcy!”

The group couldn’t handle Jane’s pleas but they didn’t know what to do. They heard her break down into sobs and slowly the sobs stopped.

When the door opened, Thor stepped through, an unconscious Jane held close to his chest. His own eyes were red tinged.

“We are the only family that the Lady Darcy has….had.” Thor said, correcting himself with a slight hitch in his breathing. “I would like to take her body to Asgard and give her a proper burial so we may all see her in the halls of Valhalla one day.”

No one spoke at first, unsure what to say. Darcy was their friend but she was much closer to Thor and Jane.

“Anything you want.” Pepper said as she stood up and approached Thor. She pressed a gentle hand to his arm and he slowly nodded.

“I would ask that you all be ready in two days’ time. That would be the best time to leave for our trip.”

“Our trip?” Clint asked. He had to.

“Surely you did not think that I would begrudge you all the chance to say your proper goodbyes. No. You all shall come to Asgard with me.”

With that the thunder god swept out of the room, leaving the group speechless.

Bruce came out of the room holding Darcy just moments later. He took a look at the group and bowed his head.

If anyone else noticed the faint tremor in his hands or the green tint to his skin, they didn’t say.

Instead, they waited for him to lift his head and look at them once again.

“If anyone wants to see her, you can. Thor put some kind of charm on her so she’ll stay in this room until it’s time to go to Asgard.” Bruce barely looked at them before turning and walking back into the room.

The first to go inside was Natasha. Clint followed closely behind and then the rest of the group slowly trickled through.

The room was large, plenty of space to hold the group. The blood had been cleaned up and Darcy lay on the bed, her eyes closed and her hands at her sides.

A necklace was placed around her throat and Clint couldn't stop looking at the charm.

The chain was very thin, barely as thick as a strand of hair, and shimmered like it was alive.

The pendant on the end was a strange knot, similar to what the bifrost sight looked like.

  
Looking at her, one could almost believe that Darcy was asleep. Her skin was still too pale, but otherwise, she looked peaceful.

Clint glanced around the room and noticed that everyone was frozen, unsure of what to do. They’d all dealt with death before, some more than others, but this was different. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“How did this happen?” Fury spoke up. He looked as if he wanted to step forward but he didn’t. He stayed rooted to the spot.

“We’re working on that.” Stark said and then he walked out of the room without a glance at anyone.

Natasha followed, along with Pepper, and Clint knew they’d have something to tell them soon. Steve left shortly after and Clint stepped into the hall to give Coulson the time he needed.

They’d both met Darcy in New Mexico when Thor first came to Earth. Coulson had been reluctantly amused by Darcy and Clint had been intrigued.

Coulson’s new team drifted out and Clint nodded at Agent May, the only one he really knew.

She nodded back before taking a seat in the waiting room.

Coulson came out after a few moments, his eyes slightly red but his face otherwise unchanged.

Clint expected Fury to follow Coulson but when he didn’t Clint went back to the door of the room. He was shocked to see Fury standing to the side of Darcy’s bed, his large hand brushed her hair back from her forehead and stopped on the top of her head.

“I will fix this.” Fury growled lowly. “I will find out who did this and I will end them.”

With that, the man dropped a light kiss to Darcy’s hairline, nodded at Bruce and Clint, and strutted out the door, rage on his face and vengeance on his mind.

“Okay, what was that?” Clint asked Bruce. He didn’t think Fury had known Darcy well.

“I have no idea.”

Clint decided that he’d talk to Fury about it later.

For now, he needed to make some travel arrangements.

*

Tony paced the floor in his workshop, holograms pulled up all around him.

He had security footage from all of the surrounding buildings but nothing was at the right angle.

The footage from the roof top was on a constant loop, sound off, of course.

Natasha was sitting at one of his work tables, going through files of recent missions, looking for anything that could tell them who had done this.

Pepper had retired to the penthouse after making plans for a press release. She said she’d get started on the travel arrangements after the press release.

The workshop doors opened and Bruce walked in, his brow furrowed.

“What is it?” Natasha asked as she stood up.

“Did either of you know that Fury knew Darcy? As more than a casual acquaintance.” Bruce asked as he looked between Tony and Natasha.

“What are you talking about? Fury’s never spoken to Darcy except in passing.” Natasha answered.

“He said something. Downstairs. It was just odd.”

“Jarvis, pull it up.” Tony said.

The feed from the room where Darcy was held came up on a new screen and all three of them watched Fury as he approached Darcy’s still body. He reached out, hesitating momentarily, before he let his fingers trail down one side of her face softly.

“I’m so sorry.” They heard him say as he looked down on her.

On the screen, Bruce turned around as Clint came in the door of the room and stopped.

“I will fix this.” Fury’s voice was a low growl and Tony glanced at Natasha. “I will find out who did this and I will end them.”

Fury then dropped a light kiss to Darcy’s hairline, nodded towards Bruce and Clint, and marched out the door.

“Okay, what was that?” Clint’s voice said.

“I have no idea.” Bruce replied.

“Jarvis, follow Fury’s movements through the tower.” Tony watched as the camera changed to the one in the hallway.

Fury’s face was a stone mask but Tony could see the underlying emotion. That kind of anger didn’t come from someone you barely knew being killed.

Fury stepped into the elevator and pulled out his phone.

Just then the audio and video started to glitch in and out.

“Damn it.” Natasha spoke up finally. “He messed with the signal. Jarvis, do you know what he said?”

“I’m afraid I do not, Agent Romanov.” The AI replied.

“We need to figure this out. Fury knows something that he’s not willing to share with the rest of the class.” Bruce said and Tony wasn’t surprised to find the man clenching his fists, his normally brown eyes a vibrant and unnatural green.

*

They were preparing for departure when Coulson, Fury, and a man none of them had ever seen stepped onto the roof and headed in their direction.

Natasha was surprised when Jane stepped away from the group and approached the stranger.

“Where were you?” She hissed at him, shoving against his chest.

The man’s face didn’t change, the lack of emotion slightly disturbing to Natasha.

“She needed you and you weren’t there!”

“Jane.” Thor said as he stepped towards them and put an arm around her shoulders.

“Hi, who are you?” Tony asked as he stepped forward, the once solemn group now suspicious and on high alert.

“A friend of Darcy’s.” The man replied evenly.

“Really? Why have we never met you?” Steve asked the man.

“I’ve been busy with work.”

“We must be on our way." Thor spoke as he motioned everyone to the area where Heimdall would open the bifrost.


	5. Hybrid!Darcy

Darcy had convinced them all that they needed to go to New Orleans. She had an old acquaintance down there, she told them, and she hadn’t seen him in a while. They’d arrived in the city and immediately been taken to a large, old house that had a fancy ‘M’ on the outside and a walled-in courtyard.

“Darcy.” An accented voice calls from above them as they stand in the center of the courtyard. Darcy immediately separates herself from the group and runs towards the blonde man. He opens his arms and Darcy throws herself into them with abandon, nearly climbing her way up his body. “And who might your friends be?”

Tony feels his brow raise at that because did this dude live under a rock? He notices that the other Avengers are all thinking along the same lines when he glances at them. Looking back at Darcy wrapped around the man, he knows he’s not the only one who notices the intimacy of the gesture. Darcy is a tactile person and very affectionate, but displaying such intimacy publicly is a rarity. In fact, he’s pretty sure that he’s never seen her that way with someone.

“Well, that’s Steve.” Darcy says, pointing at Rogers as the man lets her down. Tony’s eyes widen at the way she slides against him because that is an extremely sexual move she just made and she doesn’t look the least bit shy about it. She settles an arm around the man’s waist and he puts one around her shoulders. “That’s Bucky, Natasha, Clint, Bruce, and of course, Tony Stark.”

“Ah, yes. Stark.” The man says with an appraising look that Darcy immediately glares at as she shakes her head. “Fine.”

Tony is confused and it appears as if the others are as well. But no one says anything.

“Everyone, this is Klaus Mikaelson. Klaus, everyone.” Darcy’s smile is wide until another door is opened and a dark-haired man in an immaculate suit steps into the courtyard. Then it flares into a grin as she releases Klaus and jumps on the other man. He catches her easily, though at first, Tony would’ve thought the man too dignified for such displays.

“Elijah!” She yells happily as she wraps herself completely around the man. Tony feels Bucky stiffen and almost smirks. The man has it bad. But Tony is quick to notice that though this reunion is just as concrete, there’s no sexuality attached to it. Just affection.

“Darcy, I thought you got over this habit years ago.” The man, Elijah, says as he carries her forward because it’s obvious that she isn’t letting go anytime soon.

“Yeah, but that was then and this is now.” She tells him impishly. “And I haven’t seen you guys in forever.”

“Yes, well, you will have to talk to Niklaus about why that is.” Elijah says with a smirk before turning to look at them. “Hello, I’m Niklaus’s older brother, Elijah.”

They all nod as Darcy does introductions again. Eventually, she lets go of Elijah but only when there’s mention of showing them to their rooms. And Tony, being who he is, notices that Klaus smirks smugly before grabbing Darcy and putting her on his back. She squeals and laughs but doesn’t object as he starts walking up the stairs. Tony notices that Klaus looks directly at Bucky as he walks by him.

Okay, so the guy is brave enough to challenge the former Winter Soldier. That is definitely interesting.

****

Later that night is when the fun really began. Instead of going to a bar or club and attracting too much attention, the Mikaelson’s had the courtyard set up like a dance floor.

Tables and chairs are on the edges of the floor, a bar on one side offering endless free drinks, and candles burned all over the place, despite the heat of the summer air.

Sensual music plays over the speakers and Tony’s not surprised to see Darcy in a whole new light.

She’s in her element here, which surprises him for some reason. Her hair is piled messily on top of her head and she’s wearing a white skirt that stops above her knees in the front but brushes her calves in the back. A light blue cropped camisole covers her top. She’s barefoot and clutching a bottle of bourbon in a crystal decanter.

A sensual beat comes on, something heavy and slow, and he watches, along with most of the men in the place and a good portion of the women, as she moves to the center of the courtyard. The bottle stays in her hand as she starts to sway.

It’s not long before Klaus joins her and just by the way they dance, Tony knows they’ve been lovers. There’s too much familiarity and too much intimacy in the way they touch each other. The way his hands glide over her hips and thighs, dragging the fabric of her skirt almost indecently high as she grinds against him. He’s never seen this side of her, never seen her let loose. And he thinks that might be a good thing because it’s intoxicating.

He finds himself wanting her when he’s never looked at Darcy that way. Sure she’s pretty and her body is great, but she’s Darcy. She’s his friend. Now, he finds himself wanting. He looks around and sees the same thoughts echoed in countless eyes.

Tony finds his eyes finding Darcy’s form again and he has to bite his tongue. Her mouth has found Klaus’s and they’re kissing as if they’re not in the middle of a crowd. One of the man’s hands move low on her stomach, fingertips slipping just past the white fabric. His other hand moves up between her breasts, pressing against her breastbone, where her heart would be hammering.

Not quite surprised, but not quite expecting it, he watches as she pulls away from the man with a grin he’s never seen her give anyone. A grin full of dirty, dark promises. She grabs his hand and moves through the crowd and Tony can’t resist looking at Bucky. The man has been gone on Darcy for so long but kept himself away for reasons only known to him. And in the beginning, he knows that Darcy knew. But apparently, she got tired of waiting around.

The couple disappears up the stairs and around a corner and he hears breaking glass. It startles him into looking at Bucky and Steve. Steve is the one who broke the glass at the look of sorrow on Bucky’s face. The blonde man gets up and Tony knows he intends to interrupt the happy couple. Shit. He follows as quickly as he can, rushing after Steve. They make it up the stairs and suddenly Elijah is in front of them.

“Is there something I can help you with?” he asks in his cultured voice.

“Excuse me.” Steve says as he tries to go past but Elijah just steps in front of him.

“I don’t think that’s wise.” Elijah has a dark look in his eyes that makes Tony wonder about him, the things he’s seen, and the things he’s done. There are only so many ways to get a look like that behind your eyes.

“Look, you don’t understand.” Steve says and Tony just ducks his head.

“I understand perfectly. Your friend is upset that he missed his chance. But that’s not for you or me to decide. That’s up to Darcy, is it not?”

“What she’s doing-.”

“What she’s doing is getting reacquainted with a very old friend that she hasn’t seen in many years. Anything beyond that is between her and Niklaus.”

Elijah’s voice is firm and makes it clear there’s no room for argument. But Steve tries to push past him anyway and Tony steps to the side because he’s not sure where this is going to go. Steve gets nowhere and looks surprised that Elijah is able to stand his ground. He looks like he’s thinking of punching him and Elijah smiles, obviously having seen the flash of thought in Steve’s eyes.

“Try your hand, Captain. Better men than you have failed.” Damn. Dude is seriously confident in his abilities.

Steve attempted the punch and in a blur of movement, he watches Elijah move, then Steve is flying down the stairs to land in a heap among the crowd. Steve looks surprised and Elijah still looks immaculate.

Then suddenly, Darcy and Klaus are both standing next to Elijah, a little disheveled but completely dressed. Tony could admit, at least to himself, that he is kind of disappointed by that.

“What’s goin’ on?” Darcy asks as she looks between Elijah, Tony, Steve, and the rest of the Avengers. The other people at the party seemed to be waiting, with an unnatural stillness, for something to happen. He doesn’t know what, but he can guess that it isn’t anything good. Especially since they’re all looking at Klaus and not Elijah, the guy that actually threw Steve across the courtyard. From upstairs.

“What are you?” Tony finds himself whispering in awe.

Despite his voice being nearly silent, three pairs of eyes snap to his face and Darcy grimaces slightly. That’s when he notices that her lips are a little redder than normal. The grimace shows teeth and he sees that they’re red around the gums before Darcy catches his gaze and runs her tongue over her teeth before pressing her lips together.

“What happened, Elijah?” Darcy asks with a hand on his arm.

“The Captain was attempting to make his way to you and Niklaus. I stopped him and warned him to return to the festivities.” Darcy’s eyes close as she sighs deeply. She shakes her head before opening her eyes again and looking around the room. Her gaze briefly lands on Bucky before moving on to Steve who has stood up. She sighs deeply again and runs both hands over her face and into her hair that Tony just now notices is no longer in its messy bun.

“I think it’s time for everybody to go.” Darcy says, leaning tiredly against Elijah. It surprises Tony because after that display, he’d expected her to lean on Klaus. Elijah easily put an arm around her shoulders, though, and tucked her into his side.

The room clears out almost immediately and Tony finds himself almost startled by it. No party ever ends that quickly, without at least a few people trying to stick around. These people became more intriguing by the second.

****

After the room is empty and everyone settled into an opulently decorated room, Tony finds himself watching Darcy communicate with the Mikaelson brothers in their own corner of the room. Their lips are moving too quickly for Hawkeye to read and their voices are too low for anyone to catch a hint of what they may be saying.

Occasionally, a voice will raise to nearly a whisper but it is quickly apparent that they aren’t speaking in a language known to any of the people in the room. Tony assumes it’s a dead language, though even Natasha isn’t sure by her nearly imperceptible shrug.

As suddenly as it began, the meeting between the three of them is over and Darcy looks nervously calm. However, before anything can be said, three heads snap to the door as a blonde girl appears in the doorway. She looks surprised to see so many people in the room but she quickly ignores them and moves with a blur of speed that Tony can’t track.

“They’re coming.” She says in the same cultured voice that the brothers both use.

There’s a commotion downstairs and all four figures disappear in a blur of speed.

Tony and the rest of the Avengers follow as quickly as they can and stop short when they see Darcy, Klaus, Elijah, and the new girl staring down a group of men and women.


	6. Alien/Cyborg!Darcy

*Twenty-Five Years Ago*

Darcy groaned as her back hit the ground, hard. She slowly rolled over, coughing and rubbing her throat. She’d most likely bruise. As she made it to her knees, her eyes scanned the area. She’d landed in an empty area, full of dirt and rocks for miles. Yondu had described Terra to her long ago, as the pirate had made many trips to the planet. She knew if she only waited around long enough, this world’s law enforcement would find her. That’s why Yondu decided not to take any more trips to Terra after his last job, not that long ago, where he was tasked with retrieving a half-Terran child. It had not been worth the trouble.

Quicker than she thought possible, Darcy hears the sound of approaching vehicles. Terran vehicles are surprisingly loud, compared to the ships she’s used to. But, she supposes that such a primitive planet cannot be expected to be advanced as the realms she’s been to.

Lights surround her quickly while men with guns jump out of the vehicles. She stays kneeling but straightens her back as much as she is able as one of them separates from the group and makes his way towards her. He doesn’t have a weapon out but she doesn’t let that lull her into a false sense of security.

“Ma’am, my name is Agent Fury. I’m going to have to ask you to come with us.” The man speaks and Darcy is surprised by the courtesy. She knows that, to the Terrans, she must be quite the sight. Her long black hair makes her pale blue, nearly white, skin stand out, even more obvious against her dark clothes and hair. Thin, silvery white lines make a symmetrical pattern of lines across her cheeks, brow bone, and down the center of her face. A thin sliver of metal is fused high on her cheekbones, making them appear sharper. Underneath her armor hides the rest of her enhancements.

She doesn’t say anything as Agent Fury approaches her cautiously. She sends a wary glance at all the guns aimed at her head and upper body.

He slowly rounds her body as the other people keep their weapons aimed. Grabbing her hands, he pulls her wrists together behind her back and she allows him to put the silver bracelets around her wrists. He doesn’t tighten them unnecessarily, thankfully. He loads her into the backseat of an SUV before getting behind the wheel and starting to drive.

They arrive at a long, flat building quickly and she has to marvel at the fact that she managed to land in an area so close to their base. She’d never had much luck. That’s why she has skill.

Agent Fury walks her inside as a small group follow them. The group is dressed differently than anyone else she’s seen and she assumes they are there in case she becomes more of a threat. Darcy ignores them.

The agent directs her into an interrogation room where he removes the cuffs, momentarily. She laughs openly when the other men take a startled step back. Her throat feels sore from the hand that had been wrapped around it in another realm. How Loki managed to slam her into another realm, she’ll never know. The Asgardians were not her biggest fans.

She doesn’t move a muscle as the agent goes down on one knee to attach cuffs to her feet. She knows she can get out of here if she wants and that’s enough for now. She will wait and see what they want.

The cuffs on her ankles are attached to a short chain that’s bolted to the floor. He cuffs her hands next and attaches the cuffs to another chain that is bolted to the table. The table is made out of concrete and metal. The concrete is a part of the floor, not just bolted down. She’s surprised at the precautions as she wasn’t aware that Terrans possessed the strength to break out of their chains.

“A more senior agent will be in here shortly.” Agent Fury tells her as he backs up a step and she finds herself wanting him to stay. He hasn’t once flinched at her unusual appearance. It’s reassuring.

“Are you leaving?” She asks, unsure if she can ask him to stay.

“I’ll be here to keep an eye on things.” He tells her as the team of heavily armed men leaves. She knows he means her. He doesn’t look at her as if he’s scared of her. He doesn’t look at her as if she’s an experiment. He just looks at her. It’s a nice change.

She knows they will want to know what she is, she doesn’t know how they will go about finding out.

“You’re not human, are you?” He asks and there’s genuine curiosity in his dark eyes.

“I don’t know, fully, what I am. I was told that I am part demon and part god.” She answers him and watches as his eyes widen slightly. “To your people I am an ‘oh eight four’.”

“Where are you from?” Agent Fury asks her but the door opens before she can reply.

An older man steps inside the room, a younger man with him, and raises a brow at Agent Fury but doesn’t comment on the fact that he’s sitting at the table with her.

“I am Agent Pierce, this is Agent Miller. May I ask your name?” The man asks.

“Darcy.” She tells the older man, Pierce, as she stares at Miller in open interest. His hair is a light brown and it shows bits of red under the fluorescent lights. Both men feel off and after three hundred years of traveling the realms, she’s learned to trust her feelings.

“I see.” Pierce says. “And may I ask why you’ve taken a sudden liking to Agent Fury?”

“What do you really want from me? I’m sure that’s not it.”

“Fair enough. What were you doing outside of our base?”

“Waiting.” She smiles lightly, vaguely and she can see that it frustrates the older man but she owes them nothing. She clarifies anyway. “I was waiting for someone to come get me. And they did.”

The man’s eyes widen and he looks to Agent Fury. Pierce has moved back from the table and she knows he did it so that he can have easier access to the gun on his hip.

“You knew we would bring you here?” Miller asks and Darcy shakes her head.

“No. But I know Terra monitors its air space and figured it was only a matter of time before someone investigated.”

“How do you know that?” Pierce asks.

“Experience.” She half lies. It is from experience, just not hers. But she will not tell them of Yondu.

“So, you’ve been here before.” Pierce says, nodding. “What is it that you do?”

“I’m a dispatcher.” She tells them, because it’s the truth and she was never particularly ashamed of it.

“A dispatcher? What is that?”

Her grin can only be described as feral. Fury is smart enough to stand but he doesn’t get much further before she’s yanking both hands into the air, breaking the chain that holds her to the table and the connection between the cuffs.

Bringing her fists back down, she hits the table and there’s a loud crack before it shudders and the concrete crumbles in the middle. Standing up, she’s next to Miller in a heartbeat, grabbing his throat and slamming him into the wall as she rips his gun from its holster. Pointing it at Pierce, she keeps grinning.

“An assassin.” She tells him and watches his face drain of blood. She grits her teeth as a shot of electricity goes through her and she twists to see Fury with a stun rod in his hand.

Grabbing the rod, she pulls it from his hand and clenches her fist, snapping it in half with a growl. She throws the pieces to the ground and, with one hand, slams Miller into the wall again. He goes limp as soon as his skull connects and she drops him to focus on Pierce. A few quick kicks and a punch to the jaw drops him in seconds.

Fury goes for his gun but she’s on him next, wrapping her arm around his throat from behind and holding until he starts to pass out. This costs her precious seconds but she doesn’t want to hurt him.

****

As she’s laying on the ground, one hallway away from the entrance, electricity coursing through her body, she regrets that decision. She refuses to scream as one of the agents, a particularly young one with dark hair and eyes filled with malicious pleasure, presses his stun rod to her sternum.

The crackling electricity bows her back from the floor and the other agents keep pressing and releasing their stun rods to different areas of her body in a steady wave. They are not trying to hurt, at least not permanently. They are only trying to contain. The rod pressed to her chest, however, is switched to a much higher setting and she grits her teeth tightly as she gathers all of her left-over strength. She knows if she does this, she may have nothing left to escape with, but she cannot stand letting this man hurt her uncontrolled.

With one final growl, her teeth bared dangerously, she moves faster than his eyes can track and grabs the rod right above where it touches her chest. Her other hand grabs it closer to where the man’s hand is and she pulls it from his grip, holding it like a staff before using her incredible strength to snap it in half. She holds the pieces together and snaps those in half as the man’s eyes widen and for just a moment the electricity coursing through her stops.

Throwing the pieces to the side warily, she pants and rolls to the side, agents jumping out of her way. She makes it to a crouched position, feeling like a cornered animal. Which, she supposes, to these people, that’s exactly what she is.

A wild, untamed beast, never discovered before, that they’re trying to back into a corner. They will capture her or kill her because she is unwilling to slaughter them all in order to get away.

Noticing the shift in her thoughts, the malicious young man starts to swagger forward. A low growl trickles from between her lips and she watches in cruel satisfaction as some of the agents take a step back, rubbing their arms and necks.

One agent makes the sign of the cross, another grips the medallion around his neck, obviously praying.

Her lip curls as the young agent stops and stares at her, his eyes considering. She doesn’t give him the chance to consider much. Rushing at him, there’s enough time for his eyes to widen before she is on him, taking him down the ground. She grips his jaw, looking into his frightened eyes as she speaks.

“I am the Darkness that you cower from at night. I am the Reaper, come to steal your soul.” His brown eyes widen as she shifts, straddling his waist as she leans forward almost intimately, keeping her lips a breath from his. “I am the Four Horsemen and I bring the apocalypse.”

Gripping his jaw tightly, she moves back, catching the fear in his eyes at her words. Using her grip, she slams his head into the floor and he goes slack, unconscious. She moves to run but a man steps in front of her, normal and forgettable in every way. His gun is lifted and he doesn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Her body jerks as a round hits her chest, then her stomach, then her shoulder, and lastly, a round hits her forehead, knocking her head back as she falls to the floor.

The rounds hurt, but they do not penetrate her skin. They do not have the means on this miserable rock to do any real damage to her.

“Please, stay down, Miss.” The agent that shot her calls out as he approaches.

“Why should I?” She growls as she rolls to the side and gets on her hands and knees. The action is reminiscent of her landing on Terra and she grits her teeth, silently vowing revenge on Loki and his brother, Thor, for this.

“I don’t know if I can, but I don’t want to hurt you.” He tells her.

Before she can reply, she’s hit with electricity once more and this time it’s enough volts to put even Thor to shame. She can’t contain her scream this time and she vaguely notices over half the agents throw their hands over their ears at the noise. Then everything fades to black.

*One Month Later*

“The Four Horsemen, huh?” She rolls her eyes as she lays on the floor of her cell. She’s pulled her long hair into a high ponytail and is wearing a gray t-shirt, blue, drawstring pants, and white socks. White sneakers rest underneath the cot in her cell.

When she doesn’t reply, the man on the other side of the observation window sighs.

“I’m trying to help you.” Agent Coulson, the man that had shot her, says.

“Terrans have a funny way of helping.” She murmurs as her eyes shift to him.

“You know I didn’t want to shoot you.” He tells her when he notices her attention.

Darcy grits her teeth before lifting herself into a sitting position and observing the man on the other side of the wall. His suit is well-made and a dark shade of blue. It contrasts nicely with the white shirt and light blue tie.

“They don’t want more tests?” She asks him as she stands. “They have moved on to interrogation?”

“For now.” Coulson replies blandly.

“Mm.” She hums. She’s thought many times of escaping, but she has nowhere to go, no way to go home, and she doesn’t want to spend the rest of her time on Terra on the run. Looking to the ceiling of her cell, her cybernetic eye switched to heat vision and she watched the hundreds of bodies as they moved above her. “Why so many worker ants?”

“Excuse me?” Coulson asks as he looks to the ceiling automatically.

“Your system of workers seems inefficient.” She tells him as she looks back at him, her vision going back to normal. “Hundreds of people here, tens of thousands planet-wide. Too many people know too many secrets.”

Coulson seems to sense that she’s starting to tell him something so he takes a seat in the chair outside of her cell. The folder he has in his hand is placed in his lap and he looks nowhere but at her. “We have a lot of ground to cover and not everyone knows everything.”

“I have very rarely worked with a team, or even a partner, but when I have it’s never been over three people.”

“Why?” He asks her.

“Because it’s easier to kill three people that betray you than three hundred.” He looks surprised at her answer but then shakes his head slightly and takes a deep breath before relaxing his shoulders.

“You mentioned you are the Four Horsemen. What does that mean?”

“I know you remember that first day, when I mentioned being part demon and part god. I did not lie. Long ago, my people visited Terra. They are now known in your religious texts as demons, devils, and monsters. No one book gets everything right, though.”

“So, you’re a demon in the biblical sense?” Coulson asks her.

“If that’s how you want to think of it, yes. I do not know my father, my mother never spoke his name. Least not while she was alive.”

“I’m afraid I still don’t understand the reasoning behind your handle.” He says, a furrow between his brows.

“I received the moniker at a very young age. It was said that wherever I went the apocalypse followed. War, famine, pestilence, and death. It is a name used to strike fear into the hearts of all beings, young and old.”


	7. Dragon!Darcy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one isn't Steve friendly. Sorry.

She had one of the same rules as Tony did. It was a simple thing. Don’t take her stuff.

She almost smiled as she watched people give her surprised and wary looks. The halls of Shield had never been her favorite place and this new Shield was no different.

But she was on a mission.

As she neared Coulson’s office, a woman and a man stepped in front of her with their arms crossed and feet spread shoulder-width apart. It was the classic intimidation look.

The woman’s dark brown hair was cut short, the ends brushing her jawline. She looked fit, healthy.

The man was large, almost overwhelmingly so, but she knew the real danger was the woman. She could feel something on the edges of her aura, a subtle vibration that could change into a tremendous juddering.

The man shifted slightly, his dark skin almost gleaming under the fluorescent lights.

The movement caused the air to shift and his scent wafted towards her. Warm and spicy.

Now, she did smile.

She let her full red lips pull back over her teeth, revealing sharp and deadly canines in the process.

The man didn’t visibly flinch, but she noticed his shoulders tense up slightly as his head tilted back, reassessing her.

A human wouldn’t have noticed his movements.

The woman, on the other hand, let nothing visibly show. But the vibrations seemed to gain speed, their intensity causing a pull against her aura even as she tilted her head to get a better sense of the woman.

That part of her that craved, that part that wanted, the part that needed, started to stir and she blinked once, long and slow, as she twitched her muscles on her back in imitation of a large bird settling its wings.

*

Daisy had been in the war room with Mack, Fitz, and Simmons when they’d been alerted to an intruder.

Pulling up the camera, she’d been unsure why no one was making a move to stop the woman, who had to be close to Daisy’s own age.

“Who is that?” She asked the others, watching her walk confidently past all of the agents she encountered.

“I’ve never seen her before in my life.” Simmons answered and Fitz nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go, she could be Hydra.” Mack said as he headed for the door.

Daisy followed him and, together, they walked down the winding corridors before finally making it to the hallway that Coulson’s office was on.

Knowing the woman had to be headed there, they sped up, intercepting her before she could reach the room.

“We’re going to have to ask you to come with us.” Daisy said and watched the woman smile.

She was short, only maybe an inch or so taller than May. But something about her wasn’t quite right.

When she smiled Daisy felt Mack tense and knew that he’d noticed the sharp teeth.

Figuring the woman for an Inhuman, Daisy slowly started letting her powers trickle through, waiting for the need to strike.

Before anyone could move, the door to Coulson’s office opened and the man himself stepped out, along with May.

Neither looked shocked to see the woman, only resigned.

“Miss Lewis, please come inside.” Coulson said as he motioned her forward.

“Coulson.” Daisy started to protest and Coulson just shook his head.

“You, too, Daisy. Mack, you’re more than welcome to join us.”

With that, Coulson stepped back into his office and Miss Lewis followed.

Daisy and Mack hurried to get into the room before they were shut out.

May was the most capable person either of them had ever met, powers or not, but they had a feeling she might need back up.

The door closed behind them and Daisy and Mack both automatically took a step back from the Lewis woman.

“Hiding is exhausting.” Miss Lewis said as she stretched large, leathery wings and the joints cracked. She shook the wings like a bird would before settling them along her back. “Do you know the whereabouts of Captain Rogers?”

*

Stepping off the quinjet hours later, she was greeted by King T’Challa and a member of his personal guard, Ayo.

“Your highness.” He said with a slight bow of his head that she returned, her true form once more hidden behind her more human appearance.

She found that it made people uncomfortable and she liked King T’Challa. Although, the few times he’d seen her unmasked he’d seemed perfectly at ease, not even flinching.

The anger surrounding her is palpable as she heads towards Natasha.

Natasha is quick to step forward but she doesn’t look fully at Darcy as she comes to stand in front of her.

“Antal’ya, what do you have to say for yourself?” Her tone is harsh as she speaks to Natasha as if she’s a wayward child.

“I am sorry.”

Darcy just looks at her for a moment before moving to walk past her.

When they stepped inside the building, she took the lead, sensing her mark.

The living area was a large, open space and she didn’t hesitate in her stride.

Steve Rogers was on the far side of the room with a quizzical look on his face.

Darcy sensed someone getting ready to move and she turned her head, meeting brown eyes with a tint of red light.

Must be Maximoff. The woman didn’t immediately try to attack so Darcy turned her attention back to the group in front of her.

She could tell that they had all been asked to meet here and she sent a nod to the Dora Milaje that were stationed at all of the exits.

They were extremely formidable warriors and she held the utmost respect for their abilities.

*

Sam couldn’t stop his hands from fiddling with his book because he knew that whatever they had been summoned for wasn’t going to be pleasant.

The clack of heels caused him to raise his head and he watched as a small woman stalked into the room. He had no other words for the way she moved in tight black jeans, a black t-shirt, and black boots that went over her knees.

Her long, dark brown hair flowed past her waist in a curly waterfall and her sharp features gave her a predatory look. Her makeup was flawless but her blue eyes were sharp and deadly looking.

A few people followed her into the room and he was surprised to notice that it was the king, one of his guards, and Natasha.

“So, when you-“ Clint starts to say but is interrupted by the woman.

“Don’t even try it.”

Barton looked surprised but he complied quickly as her sharp and cold eyes held his. Her smile was dangerous and it didn’t change as she looked around the room.

“Now, I am here to take care of a family matter. If you make my task difficult I will have no problem removing you from future active duty.”

“You don’t have the authority.” Rogers spoke up and the woman regarded him steadily as the people in the room all stopped breathing.

“That is not what I said.” She replied in a deceptively calm voice. “I said I would not have a problem removing you from future active duty. If you are injured to a point that you are unable to complete your task, you cannot be on active duty. You will be a danger to your teammates and yourself.”

“So, what? You’re going to get someone to beat us up?” Lang spoke up with a smirk and Sam wants to tell him to shut up because he’s beginning to notice that there’s something off about this woman.

“No, Mr. Lang. I will simply do it myself. I am very efficient in the task of eliminating obstacles. Do not become an obstacle.”

“I thought you said we were safe here.” Rogers said to T’Challa.

“What the hell?” Barton squawked. “Natasha?”

“I said that you would be safe from the Earth’s human government.” He told them, seemingly choosing his words carefully as the redhead stayed standing behind the woman.

“You’re Foster’s assistant from New Mexico.” Barton said with sudden realization and Sam spared him a glance. “What do you have to do with this?”

“My only stake in this game is Stark.” She told the room and Sam wanted to roll his eyes. Of course, this was Stark’s doing. “I don’t like it when people touch my stuff.”

“What?” Rogers asked as everyone glanced at each other. That’s when Sam noticed that Natasha looked slightly different. Her features were sharper, her skin paler, almost like moonlight, and her eyes were a brighter green.

“You do not know what you have done, Steve Rogers.” The woman said with a slow shake of her head. “Dragons are not docile creatures.”

“What?” This time the word came from Barton.

“I will make this simple for you. Steven Grant Rogers has insulted the royal family of Agrumar. He shall make amends. If amends are not satisfactory, he shall be punished. And if your pseudo witch does not stop trying to get into my mind she will be taught her manners.”

“Look lady-“Rogers spoke up, the threat apparently bringing him out of his confusion and Sam winced.

“No.” The woman said, her voice resonating with power. “You will address me as Queen or you will not address me at all.”

With that, she turned away from the stunned men and faced Wanda.

Extending her hand out, Wanda was pulled to her as she slowly started to transform.

Her features sharpened further until her skin was tinted a light blue with a touch of silver, and her nails extended into black claws. Her eyes were surrounded by tiny iridescent scales and the sclera had turned black.

Wanda tried to resist more frantically as she was pulled toward the woman but she seemed to be powerless against her. The woman’s clawed hand went around Wanda’s slim throat and she lifted her from the ground a few inches, making a point that they all understood. Clearly.

“Your highness, I would request that you not kill any of them until they have had the chance to make amends in some way.” T’Challa spoke as he stepped towards the woman and Sam looked at him in disbelief. “They did not know the wrong they have done.”

The woman hissed slightly, her forked tongue flicking out lightly as she tilted her head, contemplating the words of the king of Wakanda.

So far, no one had pulled any weapons, but Sam knew that was only because they did not have any weapons to pull. Maybe she didn’t.

“I will allow you and your people to make amends, Steve Rogers.” She told him as she set Wanda back on her feet. “Make haste with your restitutions before I have to talk to you again. I have said my piece. Come, Antal’ya.”

“Yes, Mother.” Natasha answered and Sam could only blink.

*

“Okay, what was that?” Scott asked from his position against the back wall, after the woman and Natasha had left, of course.

“Who was that is the more accurate question. Right, your highness?” Clint asked with a raised brow.

“That was Queen Daciana of Agrumar. She is the Dragon Queen and one of the most powerful beings you will ever meet.” T’Challa told them. “She is also Mr. Stark’s mother.”

“Wait, what? Mother?” Clint asked.

“Not biological, but yes. For all intents and purposes.”

“I thought Natasha had just called her Mother.” Sam spoke up.

“Yes.” T’Challa said but didn’t elaborate.

“Why should we have to make amends? And what did she mean by that?” Rogers asked.

T’Challa spared a glance for Wanda, noticing that she had yet to speak up. She looked visibly shaken and Sam knew that the Dragon Queen was the first real threat the girl felt like she’d faced.

“You should contact her about the amends and why they should be made. I am sure that she would be willing to discuss the matter with you.” T’Challa told them. “She is a very powerful, very ruthless queen of a very powerful and very ruthless people. So I would take care when trying to discuss negotiations.”

“Are we not going to talk about Stark sending someone into your country to make a power play?” Steve asked and Sam looked back at the King, feeling like he was watching a tennis match.

“Stark sent no one. He did not even tell her what had happened. Her daughter informed her and they collaborated with an old friend to find you. When she called me about the incident, I confirmed that your group was here.”

“So you just let someone come after us.” Steve said, a surprised and betrayed look on his face.

“No, Captain. I did not let anyone come after you. Darcy is a very close friend that I have known many years. When she informed me of her intentions, I invited her here. I have risked much for you but I will not lose a friend for you.”

T’Challa swept out of the room with all the elegance of his high status. Sam was the first to speak up.

“Are we not going to mention that Natasha apparently has a parent, who is also a dragon, a queen, and Stark’s mother?”

“Honestly, I’m having a hard time processing.” Clint spoke up. “When I met her years ago, she was going by Darcy Lewis and was Dr. Foster’s intern. And Nat never once mentioned any of this.”

“Well, we’re not making amends. We have nothing to be sorry for.” Steve said and Sam just shook his head. He didn’t know what they were up against but it couldn’t be anything good. Wanda still hadn’t spoken and he risked another glance at her, only to see her staring at Steve in astonishment.

“Did you not see what she did to me?” The young woman asked. “How quickly I was subdued and silenced?”

“So, we’ll train. We’ll leave this place and train harder. This isn’t our fault.” Steve told her.

Wanda stared at him her brow furrowed and a frown on her lips.

With another shake of her head she turned to leave the room with one last question. “Do you truly care more about being right than one of us dying?”


	8. Dragon!Darcy Pt. 2

As Darcy walks back through the halls of the Wakandan palace, she can feel a cowed Natasha behind her and to her right. Normally, Tony would be on her left but he is currently in a hospital bed next to Rhodey. Just the thought of it has her nails lengthening as they try to dig into her palms.

“Where is your consort, Antal’ya?” Darcy asks her daughter with barely a glance over her shoulder.

“If I may, Darcy,” Okoye says from her position next to Darcy. “He is in one of the princess’s labs. He requested to be put into a cryogenic sleep so that he may not pose a risk to others until there is a cure.”

Looking over at the general, Darcy can’t help but lament the fact that the woman had not wanted to be Darcy’s royal consort or to join her queendom in any other way. She’d tried to entice the woman away with many things but her steadfast loyalty to Wakanda had held strong over the years. Darcy had even offered to make her husband, W’Kabi, a consort or to give him a job in her queendom along with the formidable warrior.

Neither had taken her up on the offer, though they visit often as they can.

“Antal’ya.” Darcy calls to her daughter. “We will call a family meeting and discuss bringing your consort home. For now, let us go see your consort and see what he has to say for himself.”

She can see the excitement, the hope, in Natasha’s eyes. She might be irritated with her, but she hopes that she can give this one thing to Natasha, she wants to answer that hope, to save the mind of James Barnes for her daughter.

They make their way through halls of the palace until they come to the elevator that will take them to the lab levels, boarding it, and standing silently as they travel.

Disembarking the elevator, Darcy isn’t surprised when the princess, Shuri, comes running over and launches herself into Darcy’s arms. She has known the girl since she was a baby, watched her learn to walk and talk as her large, curious eyes took in everything around her. She took Shuri on her first flight, years ago, barely a glide less than ten feet from the ground and under the watchful eye of the Queen Mother, Ramonda.

Darcy catches the girl easily enough, Shuri’s feet only lifting from the ground for a few moments and Darcy squeezes her tightly and lets her go once again. She can’t help but smile at the girl.

“It has been too long, Daci.” Shuri tells her with a bit of a pout. The old nickname that had given her the idea for the name Darcy makes her feel warm inside.

“I know, but there was business to attend to. I am sorry that I missed the memorial for your father.” Darcy tells her. “I will have to make a visit to the temple and make an offering for Bast.”

“Yes, I had thought you might want to.” Shuri’s tone is more subdued as she nods. “What brings you to my labs?”

“I have been informed that my daughter’s consort is here, in a cryogenic sleep. I was hoping that we could speak to him about possibly returning home with us so that the court’s healers could take a look at his mind.”

“We have been looking into a way to remove the trigger words but I have not made much progress yet. There have been other matters that required my immediate attention.”

“Understandable.” Darcy tells her as Shuri begins to lead the way to the room that contains the sergeant. “If he wishes to stay here, or if Tony wishes to have him stay here, would it be a problem if I sent some of my healers?”

Shuri stops in her tracks and turns to Darcy with a wide grin, her dark eyes lit up like fire is within them. “Finally!”

Darcy can’t help but chuckle, Natasha and Okoye laughing along with her, at Shuri’s enthusiasm.

They reach the room and Darcy stands back as Shuri begins the procedure to wake Barnes, studying him through the glass front of the tube. Turning towards Natasha, Darcy contemplates the conversation they need to have.

“Tell me everything, Antal’ya.” She tells her, knowing that her daughter will leave nothing out, even her own mistakes.

“I did not think that I would succumb to an emotional response.” Natasha tells her softly. “It seems, after so long among the mortals, I have let myself become more like them than I was aware.”

“Why did you not tell your brother of the deceit?” Darcy is disappointed in Natasha for that more than anything. She can understand the draw of a beloved consort, the need to protect them, but she cannot abide deceit among her own family.

“I did not know.” Natasha tells her, not offering platitudes or excuses. “It was my own misplaced trust that allowed Anthony to be hurt. Rogers told me that he had spoken to him and all was well. I trusted that, but I know now that it was not real trust but more a type of denial, a need to keep everyone together and to be reunited with Yasha once again.”

Darcy watches her daughter as she speaks, watches her aura. She can see her shame and her sorrow.

“You will have to make this up to him. He may not want you around for quite some time, Antal’ya, and you will have to respect his wishes.”

“I know, Mother.” Natasha tells her, ducking her head to hide the tears that Darcy can sense forming. She steps closer to her daughter, putting fingers under her chin and lifting her face back to her.

“Natasha.” Darcy says, finally using her daughter’s common name, letting her know that some of her anger is washing away. “We will fix this. It will just take time.”

A tear escapes Natasha’s eye and Darcy cups her cheek before stepping closer and pressing her cheek to Natasha’s in a sign of forgiveness.

They stay that way for some time until Okoye clears her throat softly. Darcy pulls away from her daughter and watches as James Barnes, Yasha, slowly blinks before looking around the room as he sits up.

“Careful, Sergeant.” Shuri tells him as she presses a button on the bed that he’s lying on. The bed lifts so that he can lean back but sit mostly upright.

“What’s going on?” He asks warily. “Did you find a cure?”

“Sergeant Barnes, my name is Darcy Lewis.” Darcy introduces herself in simpler, human terms. “I would like to talk to you about the possibility of letting my healers take a look at you. I will need to talk to Anthony about it, but if he is amenable, we would like you to come stay at Stark Tower. If he is not, I have another place to offer you. Or you could stay here. In any case, I would like my healers to look you over. But that is up to you.”

“Why would you do any of that?” He asks her softly.

“You should talk to Natasha about that but for now I will say it is because my daughter cares for you and believes you deserve it. I will leave you to talk to her and Shuri about it while I call Anthony so that we may hold a family meeting.”

Darcy nods at Natasha who reaches a hand out and catches Darcy’s hand, giving it a soft squeeze and a head nod in return. She steps from the room and walks to another section of the lab, hoping to keep her conversation from Natasha’s ears.

She listens to the phone ring for a few seconds before it’s answered.

“Yes?” Tony asks her, his tone tired and she feels a pang of sorrow for her son.

“Anthony? How are you feeling?” She asks him, hoping she can complete this business quickly so she can be back by his side while he’s in such pain. “How is the colonel?”

“He’s doing better. El’vanya has already come by. I think she’s talking to Pepper right now.”

Darcy can hear how strained his breathing is and feels a heat in her chest but she swallows down the fire. Releasing it in Shuri’s lab could be catastrophic.

“I need to call a family meeting with you and Natasha.” Darcy finally tells him. “It’s about James Barnes.”

There’s silence on the other end and Darcy nearly holds her breath as she waits.


	9. Darcy Gecko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for taking so long to update. Hopefully, the next update will come a lot faster.

Darcy takes a deep breath as she sits in her borrowed car, trying to work up the nerve to go inside Jacknife Jed's. She’d been sitting here for around an hour trying to decide how to approach this situation. Most of her Shield gear is locked in her trunk, though she has a pistol in a holster on her left leg, inside her boot. A knife is tucked into her right boot. She needs neither item, not with her “enhancements”.

Her skin feels too tight and a little tingly. Ignoring her nervous doubts and focusing on keeping her form as human as possible, she reminds herself that Coulson is waiting for her to check in. And keeping her secret. For now.

Darcy exits her car and heads to the front entrance, her heart thumping heavily in her chest. Stepping inside, she notices an eclectic mix of people and feels grateful that she won't stick out too much in her black skinny slacks with a high waist and sailor buttons, a Maya blue peasant blouse that is tucked into her slacks, and matching blue knee-high boots that have a black heel and black toes with silver accents and black straps over her foot and two black straps around her calves, with silver buckles. The boots are her one concession to not blending perfectly and that’s only because she has a hard time resisting awesome shoes.

When she gets inside, she takes a seat at the bar and orders a Mike's lemonade. She sips at it slowly as she scans the room with her eyes and that “extra” part of her that lets her see and feel auras. She counts fifteen cold auras in varying shades of black. Then there's a cold one with small hot spots that's bright blue with swirls of black, green, and white and it gives her pause. That's new. She's never known a culebra aura to be anything other than dark and cold.

Human auras range in temperature and color with such variety that you rarely have ones that are the same, only ones that complement each other.

Carefully, she continues her scan of the bar until she finds the source. A tall man, well built with broad shoulders, pale skin and dark brown, black-ish hair. She can't see his eyes from this far away but she’d bet her life that they’re a soft blue that contradicts his sharp cheekbones and strong, defined jawline. It's him. After all this time, it's really him.

Her eyes start to burn with tears she ruthlessly suppresses and she realizes that she never really thought this moment would come. She never thought she’d find him.

He looks up, directly at her, and his eyes catch hers before she can look away. He looks away from her, for a nanosecond, to say something to the people he's sitting with and she takes the opportunity to bolt. She’s not ready for this. She thought she was but she isn’t and she has to get away before this breaks her.

She moves fast, rushing for the door, and doesn’t know if she’ll make it. She throws a quick thought out to the universe, to Thor, to anyone that’s listening, to please, please, let her get out of here so that she can fall apart in peace.

She gets outside and halfway across the parking lot but then a hand grabs her arm from behind. They'd grabbed her bicep so she moves her elbow and forearm back as she turns to the side, bringing her forearm against their arm, and moves her arm to the side and up before bringing it back down to dislodge their grip as she turns to face them and push them away from her.

The blue-eyed culebra holds his hands up and takes a step back from her. She grimaces at her reaction because she's screwing up everything, after searching for so long. And it looks a little ridiculous for someone as tall as him to be holding his hands up in surrender towards her. She barely reaches his shoulder, even with her boots on. Without her boots, the top of her head would barely reach his collar bone.

“Who are you?” He asks her as he studies her carefully, his hands only slightly lower as he shifts into a more comfortable position.

“Darcy. Who are you?” She knows. She knows who he is but she is not ready.

She's hoping she can play this. She's conned and manipulated plenty of people, this shouldn't be hard. But it is. It is for her, because she knows who he is but he doesn’t know her. Doesn’t remember. He can’t.

“Richard.” He tells her slowly, tilting his head and lowering his hands until they’re by his sides. “Do I know you?”

“No.” Her tone is flat as she replies, her answer final. Because, she feels it, too. Has felt it since she pulled into the parking lot and it’s only gotten stronger since she’s seen him, since he’s seen her.

“Are you sure? You look awfully familiar.” His voice is cajoling, persuasive. She knows culebras get certain powers at some point, unique to them, but Richard is not only a culebra and she doesn’t know if he knows that. Doesn’t know what he’s capable of because she didn’t know that he was a culebra, either. Not until tonight.

Darcy struggles not to let out a hysterical and bitter laugh at his words. A scoff escapes her lips instead and she takes a step back. She doubts he’ll be able to make the connection. There’s no reason he should. There’s never been anything to indicate that he or his brother know anything about her. Richard was too young to remember and Seth, well, she knows he is only a year older than Richard so he probably doesn’t remember either.

She hears steps and glances behind Richard, over his shoulder, to see that the man that he’d been sitting with is walking their way, along with a young woman with red hair and a young Chinese culebra. Her eyes flash back to Richard’s and she forces herself to remain calm, to keep her heart and breathing steady. She can talk her way out of this. She’s done more with less.

“What’s goin’ on, Richie?” The older man asks as he gets closer to them, the woman and culebra trailing a little farther behind.

“Nothing, Seth.” He answers and Darcy can feel her lungs seize at the name. They’re both right here. Right in front of her. She didn’t recognize Seth and she can figure it’s only because she was so focused on Richard. She wants to call Coulson so bad, wants to tell him the news. Wants to cry and rejoice. Wants to run away.

Richie seems to catch onto something and his gaze snaps back to her, roaming over her face. She pushes down the thread of panic and fear trying to wind its way through her gut. He must’ve heard or felt her reaction. That’s all she can think of as he looks her over again.

“What are you?” Richie asks her and Seth narrows his eyes in a glare as the Chinese culebra steps closer to him, both of them blocking the redhead from her.

If she really wanted her, she’d have her, Darcy knows. They’re dangerous men but she’s something else entirely. But she tries not to think like that anymore. Coulson had gone through rigorous hours and days and weeks and, eventually, years of therapy and deprogramming and reconditioning. She is not what she once was.

“Um, a girl?” She replies, playing the ignorant angle with a confused twitch of her brows as she tilts her head. “A personal assistant, a tourist. I mean, I’m a lot of things. It really depends on who you ask and the situation.”

“Mm.” Richie nods, keeping his intense blue eyes on her. “But you’re not human.”

She takes an automatic step back at those words, wondering how he knows because culebras never do. She can feel the itch underneath her skin and worries that her eyes are gonna give her away, if they’re going to flash that eerie white that happens before they changed completely. Her fingers twitch involuntarily and she fights to keep her palms from clenching. The tips of her fingers are beginning to hurt as she suppresses the urge to let herself shift, to change.

“What?” She manages to ask in a slightly incredulous tone, taking another step back and hoping they don’t notice. She’s preparing to make a tactical retreat and hopes she can reach her car before they can reach her.

Before anyone can respond, Darcy hears another set of steps on the pavement and then another man is walking their way. Something about him is familiar and when he stops near Seth, she feels her eyes widen slightly.

“Lewis?” He sounds surprised but not unhappily so. “What brings you to Texas?”

“Hi, Ranger Gonzalez.” She smiles at him, relief coursing through her. “I’m just passing through.”

“You two know each other?” Seth asks and Darcy fights not to roll her eyes at the obvious answer. They all narrow their eyes at Darcy. “How?”

“We met on an assignment.” Gonzalez answers and their gazes range from curious, to worried, to suspicious. “Lewis was part of the specialist team we called in.”

“Specialist?” Richie asks and Darcy is trying to think how much to tell them. They’re obviously not new to strange occurrences and Gonzalez knows a little more detail. She’s not sure how much he’d willingly share with others, though.

“Yes.” She tells them, settling on an edited version of the truth. “There were some bodies and missing people. Ranger McGraw called us in because the organization had left a calling card of sorts.”

“So you’re, what, a fed?” Seth asks and Gonzalez laughs lightly.

“Not exactly.” Darcy tells him before looking around her. The parking lot is empty but she knows that doesn’t mean much. It makes her feel anxious, all the empty space around her. “Look, if we’re really gonna do this, can we go someplace a little more secure?”

“Do what?” Seth asks her suspiciously and she rolls her eyes with a sigh.

“If I’m gonna lay my cards on the table, the less people that know, the better. Trust me.”

“First, tell me how you moved the way you did.” Richie says.

“Goddammit, Richie.” Darcy nearly growls and she catches an amused scowl on Ranger Gonzalez’s face. She lets her eyes flash for a second, only enough for the white to overtake the blue of her irises. “I’d rather not be standing out in the open like this, if you don’t mind.”

After a moment of hesitation and a nod from Gonzalez, all of them proceed to go back inside Jacknife Jed’s. It doesn’t escape Darcy’s notice that the young culebra and Seth keep the redhead as far away from her as possible. It also doesn’t escape her notice that the redhead keeps looking her over, from the top of her head to the steel-toes of her boots.

****


End file.
